Joplin CLI Skill

Use joplin CLI to interact with Joplin notes.

⚠️ Important: Use CLI, Not SQL

Use the joplin CLI for editing notes. Avoid modifying the SQLite database directly - it can cause sync conflicts and data loss.

Setup

If Joplin is not configured with WebDAV, configure it:

joplin config sync.target 6
joplin config sync.6.path "https://your-webdav-server/path"
joplin config sync.6.username "your-username"
joplin config sync.6.password "your-password"
joplin sync

Common Commands

List Notebooks and Notes

joplin ls                          # List notebooks
joplin ls "Notebook Name"          # List notes in a notebook
joplin status                      # Show sync status and note counts
joplin ls -l                       # List with IDs

Read Note

joplin cat \x3Cnote-id>               # Display note content
joplin cat "Note Title"            # Also works with title
joplin note \x3Cnote-id>              # Open note in editor

Create Note

joplin mknote "Note Title"         # Create note in default notebook
joplin mknote "Note Title" --notebook "Notebook Name"
joplin mkbook "New Notebook"       # Create new notebook

Tip: Ask the user which notebook to use. Use:

• joplin use — shows current notebook
• joplin use "Notebook Name" — switch to a notebook
• joplin ls — see all notebooks

Edit Note

joplin edit --note \x3Cnote-id>       # Edit note in editor
joplin set \x3Cnote-id> title "New title"  # Change note title

Delete Note

joplin rmnote \x3Cnote-id>            # Delete note
joplin rmbook "Notebook Name"      # Delete notebook

Move Notes Between Notebooks

joplin mv "Note Title" "Target Notebook"

Todos

joplin todos                       # List all todos
joplin todo \x3Cnote-id>              # Toggle todo status
joplin done \x3Cnote-id>              # Mark as done
joplin undone \x3Cnote-id>            # Mark as not done

Sync

joplin sync                        # Sync with WebDAV server

Export

joplin export \x3Cnote-id> --format md
joplin export \x3Cnote-id> --format html
joplin export \x3Cnote-id> --format pdf

Import

joplin import /path/to/note.md --notebook "Notebook Name"

Search

Note: joplin search is only available in GUI mode. Use joplin ls to list notebooks and notes instead.

All Joplin Commands

attach, batch, cat, config, cp, done, e2ee, edit, export, geoloc, help, 
import, ls, mkbook, mknote, mktodo, mv, ren, restore, rmbook, rmnote, 
server, set, share, status, sync, tag, todo, undone, use, version

Referencing Notes and Notebooks

A note or notebook can be referred to by:

• Title: "Note Title"
• ID: fe889 (get from joplin ls -l)
• Shortcuts:
  • $n — Currently selected note
  • $b — Currently selected notebook
  • $c — Currently selected item

Interactive Shell Mode

Joplin can run interactively (like a shell). Start with just joplin:

joplin                          # Start interactive mode

Shell Commands (prefix with :)

Shell Mode Shortcuts

• e — Edit current note
• i — Insert new note
• Space — Select item
• Enter — Open note

Example Workflow

# Create a notebook
joplin mkbook "My notebook"

# Switch to it
joplin use "My notebook"

# Create a note
joplin mknote "My note"

# View notes with IDs
joplin ls -l

# Edit a note's title
joplin set \x3Cnote-id> title "New title"

Kanban Notes (YesYouKan Plugin)

Some notebooks use the YesYouKan kanban plugin for visual kanban boards. These notes have a specific format that must be preserved when editing:

Kanban Format

# Notebook Name

# Backlog

## Task 1

Description here

## Task 2



# In progress

## Another Task

Details



# Done

## Completed Task

Result

```kanban-settings
# Do not remove this block

### ⚠️ Kanban Formatting Rules

The YesYouKan plugin uses a specific format. Key points:

1. **Kanban settings block** - The kanban-settings block at the end of the note is used by the plugin. Its format should be preserved as shown in the example above.

2. **Use `##` for task headings** (not `#`)

3. **Column headings** should use `# Backlog`, `# In progress`, `# Done`

4. **Blank lines** between tasks are visible in the kanban view

5. **After editing a kanban note, run `joplin sync`** to upload changes

6. **Verify changes with `joplin cat \x3Cnote-id>`** to ensure formatting is correct

### Moving Tasks Between Columns

When moving a task, simply move the `##` task section from one column to another.